When Aizen’s elite new army of Soul Reaper-like Hollows ambushes Earth, Ichigo is easily crushed by the savage Espada named Grimmjow, forcing him to train with the rogue Visoreds to master his dangerous Inner Hollow mask. Meanwhile, Aizen abducts Orihime to exploit her reality-bending powers; when the Soul Society refuses to help, Ichigo and his friends launch a rogue rescue mission into the white deserts of Hueco Mundo. They infiltrate the massive palace of Las Noches, surviving brutal, near-fatal duels against top generals until Ichigo finally breaks Grimmjow's pride in an explosive rematch. Four powerful Soul Reaper Captains arrive to back them up, but the victory is short-lived: Aizen reveals the entire rescue was a calculated trap to lock the spirit world's strongest defenders in the monster realm while he marches unopposed on Earth.
